Bahamas Yacht Charters

The Bahamas include some of the most remarkable cruising grounds for luxury charter yacht vacations and holidays in the world.

The crystal clear waters and unique reefs, coral heads and the wildlife are unparalleled. The Bahamian people are warm friendly when treated with respect and the whole Bahamian experience gets 5 stars from our perspective.

Some of our favorite Bahama sailing destinations include the Exuma Islands and the Abaco and of course, the best for last, the Out-Islands.
There are 700 islands in The Bahamas covering 150,000 square miles of tropical sea with approximately 5,000 square miles of land.

The Bahamas islands have flat coral formations with some low rounded hills. It is a beautiful country and a difficult one to administer: ferry services between the islands constitute the main communications and transportation medium for commercial goods and people.

American Yacht takes pleasure in offering our charter clients a comprehensive cruising guide to the Bahamas. Only a short distance from Florida, a vacation or holiday in the Bahamas on a fully crewed sailing yacht or a power boat or motor yacht is the ultimate cruise vacation.

Our bareboat and crewed yacht search engine real-time availability can find the right boat at the right time at the right price.

Each island of The Bahamas has its own personality and something different to offer. Enjoy a variety filled vacation or holiday by visiting as many islands as time allows. Spend a few fun days in cosmopolitan Nassau with its duty free shops, golf, museums and restaurants. Lie back and relax on the bright white sand of Long Island’s deserted beaches.

Experience the dive of a lifetime in challenging wreck sites off the coast of San Salvador. Witness the spectacle of nesting flamingos and other exotic wildlife in Inagua National Park.

Cruise through the Exumas’ 100-mile-long string of pristine cays. The hard part is deciding which islands to visit!

Don’t even think about starting your charter on the mainland US. Crossing the Gulf Stream is not for the faint-hearted, the weather and the waters are always changing and not always for the better.

It’s always more prudent to start your charter in Nassau or if you’re an avid bareboater, you may choose to start in Marsh Harbour in the Abacos which is a short 30 minute flight from Fort Lauderdale.

Luckily for cruising and yachting enthusiasts, there are some very well defined areas that are pretty much self-contained for cruises of a week or more. It’s impossible to see all the islands on one trip, but if you organize yourself you can explore the different regions at your leisure over time.

• Bimini and the Gulf Stream Islands: mostly for sport-fishing types, not particularly interesting for yacht charters.
• The Berry Islands: These islands, (including Chubb Cay) mostly known to yachtsmen as a stopover between Florida and Nassau, have some of the most private, unspoiled beaches in the world. Underwater life is equally protected and tranquil. Many big game fish like sailfish, blue marlin and giant blue fin tuna roam these waters, making it yet another choice Bahamian spot for the dedicated fisherman.
• The Abacos Islands: Marsh Harbour, the bustling capital of Abaco, and Treasure Cay, offers a wide range of small family run hotels and villas. Restaurants are plentiful and nightlife varied. The outlying cays, nestled around Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay are made up of picture perfect villages, with quaint, white clapboard houses, trimmed in jewel tones.
• The Exuma Cays chain: There are 365 islands and cays that lie strung out across over 120 miles of ocean that make up The Exumas. From the air, these cays look like jeweled stepping stones surrounded by a shimmering emerald sea giving this chain the distinction of being one of the prettiest in The Islands of The Bahamas. The bright white sand of the deserted beaches is a striking contrast to the deep aquamarine and jade hues of the water.
• Harbour Island, Eleuthera and Cat Island: Dunmore Town is renowned for its three mile pink sand beach and charming New England-style architecture. Visitors to Harbour Island enjoy strolling through the quaint town’s tree lined narrow streets, exploring the settlement onboard a golf cart, bonefishing in the pristine water off the island’s coast, and frolicking on the island’s sandy coastline. The Plateau and the Arch, both giant coral structures densely populated with marine life, attracts divers from around the world.
• The Out-Islands, Samana, San Salvador, Long Islands, Acklins, Crooked , Mayaguana and Inagua: These are the REAL Bahamas islands, sparsely populated, incredibly historical and an amazing archipelago of  small islands with amazing beaches, incredible diving and the place to be if you have the time and like “getting away from it all”. Inagua has an amazing National Park.
• Grand Bahama, Freeport and Port Lucaya: The holiday mecca of Freeport & Lucaya boasts wide tree-lined boulevards, elegant resorts, world-class shopping, superb beaches and a multitude of activities for everyone. This is particularly true for the sportsman and the nature lover. Golf courses and tennis courts abound on this 96 mile island in the stream. If your taste runs to the more adventurous, take a dive with the sharks or the dolphins.
• Nassau and Paradise Island: 

  welcome to the nation’s capital, where old world charm meets the 21st century. Nassau, the capital of the Islands of the Bahamas and it’s thriving commercial centre, retains its colonial appeal. In the historic heart of Nassau, the British heritage is much in evidence in the pastel coloured Georgian architecture, and quaint wooden offices and shops scattered along lively Bay Street.